EXCLUSIVE: When you're fit and healthy, it's a shock to get cancer, says Robson ahead of climbing Kilimanjaro for charity

When you are renowned for being a figurehead of Manchester United, walking into a bar frequented by fervent Manchester City fans is not for the faint hearted. Doing it just after United were thrashed by City seems tantamount to lunacy. Yet Bryan Robson has always liked a challenge.

To his credit, Robson took the verbal blows and hours later emerged £7,000 richer, all in the name of charity of course, as two supporters pledged donations to Robson's latest battle; taking on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's tallest mountain.

'I did wonder whether I was doing the right thing going in,' says Robson. 'But it was worth it in the end. I took a bit of flak but got talking about what I was doing for United's foundation and these two guys offered to help. Next thing I know one has offered £5,000 and the other £2,000. Incredible.'

New challenge: Manchester United legend and club ambassador Bryan Robson is set to climb Kilimanjaro

Robson and close friend, former United defender Kevin Moran, will head a team of 28 intrepid trekkers climbing Kilimanjaro next month for the United Foundation. The aim is to raise funds for charities such as Unicef, Francis House, which helps terminally ill children and The Christie Charity, a leading cancer treatment centre.

The scale of the task is not lost on Robson: 'If you are going to do something for charity you may as well make it a decent challenge so 5,895 metres up the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, temperatures from 20 degrees to minus 20, walking for up to 18 hours a day, at altitude and best of all with no showers or toilets, just wet wipes, I thought this sounds like fun.'

Familiar surroundings: Robson joined United in 1981 and became the club's longest-serving captain

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The significance of the trek and its cause resonates with Robson. His football life often mirrored a Boy's Own story yet there have been a few metaphorical mountains for him to climb over the years and none greater than the one which threatened his life two years ago when diagnosed with throat cancer.

Then national team coach of Thailand, he was visiting his daughter in Australia when irritated by a sore throat.

'Mine was unbelievable the way it grew on me,' recalls Robson matter-of-factly. 'I spent four days sucking lozenges then I had to go to Indonesia to do some work. Three days later, I had a big lump in the back of my throat. I got back and asked my wife Denise to have a look and said ''this seems to be getting bigger''. I thought it was my glands.

Decorated: Robson (centre) lifted his first trophy as United skipper after beating Brighton in the 1983 FA Cup

'I went to the doctors about six days after it had started growing. He just shined a torch in my throat and said: ''I need to have a look at that because it looks like a tumour'', which it was. That was on the Monday and on the Thursday they removed it. It was that quick.

'I had a 10-day period waiting for results to come back from the lab and he was right, it was cancerous.

'I had four weeks of radiotherapy each morning. It doesn't knock you about when you are having treatment. On the second day I thought I'll go in the gym and do a workout. I lasted about 10 minutes and then went up to bed and slept for an hour and a half. And that's what I did.

'After I had had treatment I'd go back to my apartment sleep, then I felt fine to do a bit of work. It really kicks in after two weeks. Then I had ulcers, I felt run down and I couldn't taste any food because my mouth was all burnt and uncomfortable. I felt drained so there was no point in draining myself any more. I had to eat the right foods. My mouth got sore chewing so I was having a lot of soup and scrambled eggs.'

Robson was fortunate to be in Bangkok where many of the specialist doctors had been educated in the United States and they had a machine, one of only four in the world, used to treat throat cancer.

'That was the weirdest part. They take a mould of your face then fit you with this mask. You are bolted down at the neck to stop your head from moving so they can be precise as you go in for your treatment. That wasn't pleasant. Anyone who is claustrophobic would have to be sedated I think.

'The treatment lasted around 20 minutes. Every day for five days then two days off, then five days on again. They were confident with the type I had though that it would work 100 per cent.'

Relaxed, sitting in the offices of Old Trafford, Robson appears trim and healthy. He runs two to five miles every other day. The specialist told him last month that his recovery is such he need only see him in 12 months' time. It's a big, positive step.

Tall order: Robson has set himself the challenge of climbing Mount kilimanjaro - Africa's biggest mountain

Looking younger than his 56 years, Robson seems remarkably unruffled by the experience. He talks fondly of a bonding trip up Mount Snowdon in north Wales with some of the Kilimanjaro team; sharing the banter he so misses from his football days. Taking the lead seems to come naturally to a man nicknamed 'Captain Marvel' who led his country on 65 occasions while collecting 90 caps.

Indeed, Cancer Research UK asked him to help patients in recovery come to terms with the mental strain of fighting the disease. A side effect often overlooked, Robson turned to wife Denise to share his own burden as he tried to protect his three children.

'Cancer Research wanted me to help people cope. The treatment can be fantastic but mentally it's difficult to handle.

'I said to my wife there was no point frightening the kids. I wanted to try and get through it without saying too much but the media got hold of the fact I was in and out of hospital in Thailand so I had to tell them.

Cap call: Midfielder Robson also captained England as he represented his country 90 times

'I was enjoying the Thailand manager's job but I had to resign because it wasn't fair on the kids to be working there and getting treatment. They were very upset. Being a sportsman people just think you are healthy. It comes as a shock when you have an illness like cancer.

'I didn't want anyone to be upset until I knew the full score of what it was going to be. Denise was really strong like that. I wasn't going to panic unless the doctor said ''it's touch and go'', then I would have known I had a real fight on my hands.'

Hyperbole is not for Robson just realism in strong doses. He insists he has always realised how lucky he is but the off-pitch travails have re-shaped his outlook to be 'a little less serious about certain aspects of life' and spend more time with family and friends.

A return to management still appeals yet he is honest about his ambitions.

Happy times: But Robson has bad memories of watching a derby with former team-mate Steve Bruce

'I think the only way I'd get back into football now is as a lower league manager and I'm not prepared to do that,' he says. 'I enjoyed it in the past but it's not for me now. I want to work with higher level players. I'd seriously consider an international job again.'

Robson remains a frequent visitor to United's Carrington training ground where he chats with coaching staff and watches manager David Moyes take training.

It's been a difficult week at United. Robson never lost to Manchester City as a player. Injuries saved him that ignominy as he was in the Maine Road crowd with Steve Bruce when United famously lost 5-1 to Mel Machin's City in 1989. He admits he and Bruce hid like naughty schoolboys in the stands afterwards rather than face Alex Ferguson's ire in the dressing room.

He maintains though that Moyes will prevail like his prodigious predecessor and sees United's game against former club West Bromwich Albion on Saturday as pivotal.

'We can't afford to slip up,' impassions the former United captain. 'Any United player should and will be hurting from losing to City and Liverpool but they have to recover or be left behind. We made it too easy for City and have to learn from that.

Get in: Robson scored for England against France at the 1982 World Cup - one of his 26 international goals

'We are talking about being five games in here and David is still finding out about the qualities of certain players. People forget the side that won the title last season lost to Everton first game and to Tottenham easily at home, it was 3-2 and that flattered United. But United recovered. This team needs to keep it's feet on the ground, work for each other and look forward.

'West Bromwich Albion is a game United must win because then they can build a run of form before they face Arsenal in November then hopefully will have a lot more confidence.

Rotten run: Robson, coming off against Holland at the 1990 World Cup, had bad luck with injuries

'It was always going to be difficult for David as everyone wants to compare with Sir Alex but he is trying to be his own man. There are pundits throwing hand grenades into the mix as if they have first hand knowledge of what is going on behind the scenes but they don't know what they are talking about.

'You can be told about the enormity of this club and the task of replacing Sir Alex Ferguson but unless you are involved you can't judge. This place is different to any other club in the country.

'Chelsea think they are making ground and City are doing a very good job of building a squad but they are all still way behind United. That's not being disrespectful it's just this club is on a different scale with huge demands. You need to experience it before you can handle it and David can deliver the expectations of this football club.'

Should Moyes or his players need more conviction in their own ascent, the latest chapter in Captain Marvel's life could prove ideal inspiration.